16 August 2011
The PSA has confirmed that, despite the best efforts of all parties concerned, the 2010 ATCO PSA World Series Finalsfinal will not now take place.
Staged in spectacular style at The Queen’s Club in London in January, the flagship PSA event featuring the world’s top eight players was prevented from reaching a conclusion when the inflatable structure in which the climax was due to be staged became unsafe.
Nick Matthew, the world number one from England, was due to face Egypt’s four-time world champion Amr Shabana – both players bidding to win the prestigious title for the first time.
“Whilst we are hugely disappointed with not being able to hold the postponed final, we feel this is the right decision,” explained PSA CEO Alex Gough from Canberra, after the final of the highly successful Viridian Australian Open, the third PSA World Series championship of 2011.
“It was such a fantastic event, until the unfortunate situation on the final day, and it would have been a costly exercise to replicate for a single match.
“Both Nick and Amr have been kept informed at all stages of the year and, whilst disappointed in not completing the event, have been totally supportive and understanding of the position,” added Gough.
“We are now fully focused on the 2011 edition of the PSA World Series Finals which will again be at Queen’s this coming January.”
Matthew, the runner-up in Canberra, said: “It was obviously a massive disappointment both at the time and now to hear of the cancellation of the World Series Final. It was one of the finest tournaments I have ever been involved in and one which was set to change people’s perspectives about the way squash can be presented.
“Hopefully it still achieved that to a certain degree, the work that Ziad (Al-Turki) and the PSA put in to it certainly deserved it, and it’s a tournament that will go from strength to strength in the future.”